The proposed work will document long-term changes in water quality in response
to changing land use and management practices. The project has two major components.
The first is an extensive survey of nutrients in lakes throughout New Hampshire,
which is undertaken in conjunction with NH State Department of Environmental
Services. The second is an intensive survey of nutrients, suspended sediments,
dissolved organic carbon, and major cations and anions in College Brook, the
primary drainage basin for the University of New Hampshire campus. This part
of the research program is undertaken in cooperation with the University of
New Hampshire Office on Sustainability, which is charged with assessing the
environmental impact and sustainability of campus operations. The primary
output from the proposed research will be a high-quality, long-term data base
on surface water chemistry which can be used to test and refine water quality
models, as well as to guide the development of effective best management practices
and watershed restoration efforts across the state.